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Monday, May 12, 2008

Profiling

The column in the Rome New-Tribune by Cheryl Huffman on January 7 should be read nationwide. Coming home with her husband from a honeymoon in France, a tiny jar of peach perserves was confiscated and Huffman was delayed endlessly. It illustrates the lengths we have taken since 9/11 to avoid anything that could be labeled “profiling.”

Certainly, the next terrorist who tries to board one of our planes will have learned something from the failed attempt of Nigerian terrorist Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab. The next "would be " bomber will not likely buy a one way ticket and may even bleach his hair to avoid any of the glaring red flags of the Christmas day terrorist. But he almost certainly cannot disguise as an Anglo-Saxon/Celtic/Slavic women.

It is true that all Muslins are not terrorists. This seems to be the major concern of many of the Muslin leaders who get on television. This was a concern of President Bush who went too far to avoid anything that could be labeled “profiling.” No intelligent person believes all Muslins are terrorists.

We are also aware, as is often pointed out, of men like Timothy McVey, the atheist Caucasian young man who was tried, convicted and put to death in the 1990's.

But we have to know also, that all of the terrorists since 9/11 have been Muslin Males between the ages of 14 and 50? All! Surely innocent Muslin American men know this and can understand why they should be questioned more often and more seriously (even if it is labeled “profiling”) than a Caucasian women returning home from France with a tiny jar of French preserves?